Ruin & Reliance
Page 13
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Counselor Nydia opened the office door, exited her office and headed to another office located along the southern wall. She found the door locked, and tapped on it to gain the attention of the person within.
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Governor Winthrop exited the office of Counselor Nydia, closing the door behind him. He then returned to his own office, unlocked and opened the door and waited there. He closed and locked the door so that only his authorized counselors could meet with him.
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Counselor Lecso drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial and was energized with the powers of crystal and stone. The forty-nine (49) year old man sat at his desk and occupied himself with examining thousands of precious gems – emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds – to determine the quality of each crystal and certify it for trade.
He heard a tapping on his office door so he stood up and looked through a crystal window that only allowed light to pass clearly through in a single direction. In this window, he saw that Counselor Nydia was waiting outside. He unlocked the office door and opened it.
“Counselor Nydia, what business brings you?” Counselor Lecso asked as the woman entered. He then closed and locked the door behind her.
Counselor Nydia smiled and said: “A few things. You still haven’t answered my question from before. My offer still stands.”
Counselor Lecso found Nydia attractive but he didn’t want to be compromised because the central bank’s policy strictly forbade romantic relationships between counselors in the same office. Either he or she would have to quit, and the offer was very tempting. Nydia’s youthful appearance was both stunning and enduring. His own savings account was growing to where he could leave the central bank and live comfortably, and he briefly considered accepting her proposition for a date.
“Yes. Not today, but soon,” Counselor Lecso said.
“Why wait?” Counselor Nydia asked. She moved closer – close enough for a kiss
“Preparations need to be completed. I want to be sure we have enough,” Counselor Lecso said.
“I’m sure there’s enough. Time is on my side, but not yours. Don’t wait too long,” Counselor Nydia said.
Counselor Lecso considered his own age – most of his best years were behind him, but not all of them. The time to accept was fast approaching. “What really brings you here?” he asked.
“Governor Winthrop wants another eight hundred (800) seeds. I’m not sure why, but he does,” Counselor Nydia said as she handed over the signed paper with the seed retrieval order.
Counselor Lecso examined it and said: “Let’s go. Now.” He stood up from his desk and went to the office door to unlock it.
“You’re in a big hurry for those seeds. What’s so important about them?” Counselor Nydia asked.
“Just come with me, and we’ll take care of business,” Counselor Lecso said. He unlocked and opened the office door and led Counselor Nydia outside. Lecso then closed and locked the office door behind him.
Counselor Lecso and Counselor Nydia crossed the trading floor and went to the northernmost office along the western wall. Lecso used a master key to unlock the door and then opened it. He and Nydia entered and then he closed and locked the door behind them.
“No one’s around. We can take care of business, if by business you mean us,” Counselor Nydia said.
“Please wait. Just trust me,” Counselor Lecso said. He used his master key and unlocked a door in the opposite wall, revealing a spiral staircase heading downward.
“Only I can go in there. You know that,” Counselor Nydia said.
“Only I can let you in there. You know that. I have the key,” Counselor Lecso said.
“I can take you in. But you can’t get out without my help,” Counselor Nydia said.
Counselor Lecso understood the double-meaning of Nydia’s words and he burned with desire for this woman. He stepped into the stairwell. Time slowed for him, and his very thoughts came to a standstill.
Counselor Nydia stepped into the stairwell and extended her powers of time control around Lecso, pushing away the time slowing effect so that the man was not affected by it.
“I can’t resist you anymore,” Counselor Lecso said.
Counselor Nydia kissed Lecso along his neck and cheeks and lips. She tantalized the man, bringing him to the point he was ready to have intimate relations with her. Nydia’s hands navigated the man’s body and she knew that he was hers to control.
“Tell me, what are they for?” Counselor Nydia asked.
“What? Just take me! I’m ready!” Counselor Lecso said.
“The seeds! What do they do?” Counselor Nydia asked.
“I don’t know. Nobody ever told me. All I want is you! I need you!” Counselor Lecso said.
“A woman has needs, too. I need to know what they’re for. What is the big secret about these seeds?” Counselor Nydia asked.
“I said I don’t know. Kiss me. You keep flirting with me. Now kiss me more,” Counselor Lecso said.
“The moment’s lost, old man. Maybe next time I’ll let you in. For now, you’ll have to wait outside,” Counselor Nydia said. She gently pushed Lecso out of the stairwell and into the locked office.
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Counselor Nydia then descended the three hundred sixty (360) step staircase and stood in the middle of the empty room – a place so empty, she could see neither ceiling nor floor nor walls. The floor was obvious only because she had a place to stand. She then concentrated on the flow of time, bending and reshaping it around her, until a normal flow of time was formed, extending over a narrow pathway, and she could see directly ahead. Nydia walked toward a small section of newly-revealed wall which was lined with four (4) shelves, positioned at two (2) feet, four (4) feet, six (6) feet and eight (8) feet off of the floor. The shelves were three (3) feet wide: she knew they were physically wider, but that was all she could currently see due to the slow time flows everywhere else. Nydia retrieved five (5) small boxes from the bottom two (2) shelves on that wall, leaving them visibly bare. More boxes could easily be found to either side, and she momentarily pivoted her view – and her time powers – to verify this. Based on her experiences from hundreds of past visits, she was confident that each box that she held contained one hundred sixty (160) seeds. However, she opened the boxes and counted the seeds to be certain. When Nydia verified that eight hundred (800) seeds had been retrieved, she closed the boxes, walked back toward the stairwell, climbed the steps and returned to the office.
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“I need you,” Counselor Lecso said.
“I have all the seeds. That’s all I can handle right now,” Counselor Nydia said.
Counselor Lecso closed the door to the stairwell and locked it. He was disappointed at the missed moment, and felt personally betrayed that Nydia didn’t really want him for who he was, only for what he might know.
“That’s all you can have right now,” Counselor Lecso said. He unlocked and opened the office door. He and Nydia exited the office and then Lecso closed and locked the door. They walked across the trading floor and went to the office of Governor Winthrop. They tapped on the locked office door and it was unlocked and opened for them.
Governor Winthrop admitted Counselors Lecso and Nydia into his office, then closed and locked the door for privacy.
“You have them?” Governor Winthrop asked.
“All eight hundred (800) seeds, as you ordered, Governor,” Counselor Nydia said. She handed over the five (5) small boxes to the governor.
Governor Winthrop opened the boxes and counted out the seeds for himself.
“I already counted them, Governor. I counted very carefully. No seed was spilled,” Counselor Nydia said.
“They are all here. Now, return to your duties,” Governor Winthrop said after verifying the seed count. He unlocked and opened the office door, sending his subordinates away.
Governor Winthrop then took the five (5) boxes in his left arm and exited
his office. He closed and locked the office door with the key in his right hand. He crossed the trading floor to the eastern wall and approached a door in the center. He unlocked and opened the door and then entered, closing and locking the door behind him.
A young man stood up from his desk and said: “Governor Winthrop, is it time to plant or harvest?”
“It’s both, Counselor Eustache. Prepare yourself,” Governor Winthrop said.
The young man – Counselor Eustache – drank anew of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power to control plants and animals. The twenty-nine (29) year old was fit, well-trained in agriculture and had no idea of why this was such a secretive matter. He merely obeyed, asked no questions and received his regular payments. “I am ready, Governor Winthrop,” he said.
“Counselor Coleman, are you ready?” Governor Winthrop asked.
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From the darkness, Counselor Coleman said: “Yes.” He drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean from his vial and was further energized with the powers of darkness. “Do you have all the seeds?” he asked.
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“Yes. There are eight hundred (800) seeds. Plant these while draining the sap from the mature trees. Deliver the sap to Captain Fausto on board the Calibrated Provisions,” Governor Winthrop said.
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From the darkness, Counselor Coleman said: “My guards are ready. Counselor Eustache is to come with me now and oversee the farm workers.”
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Governor Winthrop watched as the agricultural counselor disappeared from view. He then felt hands reach out and take the five (5) small boxes of seeds from his grip. A door on the opposite side of the room opened and he could hear footsteps pass through it, and then that door closed. Governor Winthrop unlocked and opened the door he first entered through, exited the room and closed and locked the door behind him. He then walked across the trading floor and returned to his own office along the southern wall. He unlocked and opened it, then entered and closed and locked the door behind him.
Therein, Governor Winthrop drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of spirits. He reached out to communicate with the spiritual entity that contacted him earlier and said: “The eight hundred (800) seeds have been retrieved. My counselors have their instructions to plant the seeds and also to drain the sap from the mature trees and deliver it to Captain Fausto.”
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From under the cover of darkness, the thirty-five (35) year old Counselor Coleman led Counselor Eustachio to the nearby barracks and summoned three hundred (300) trained soldiers and fifty (50) farmers. He needed only to enter the four (4) small buildings with his own private key and everyone therein knew their jobs. The farmers were paid to plant seeds, drain sap from trees and ask no questions. The soldiers were paid to defend this operation and prevent interference and ask no questions. The farmers drank anew of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean from their vials and were energized with the power to control plants and animals. The soldiers drank anew of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean from their vials to be energized with the powers of strength and speed. It was all routine to them, whenever this Counselor Coleman entered the barracks.
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Counselor Coleman never showed his face, which he felt protected both himself and Governor Winthrop. His true name wasn’t Coleman, and it didn’t matter. All that mattered was secrecy. The farmers and soldiers didn’t even have to see him: they knew where to go and could hear his footsteps to know his direction of movement and when he stopped or changed direction. Coleman led Counselor Eustachio and the fifty (50) farmers and three hundred (300) soldiers out into the edge of a forest where a three hundred fifty (350) foot long riverboat was anchored along the bank of a stream. There were four (4) sets of double-masted pivoting sails and the ship was easily steered, because the stream was so incredibly narrow and admitted very little maneuvering.
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At the wheel of the riverboat was a young man who went by the name of Lanty. He was thirty-two (32) years old and had a steady hand. He drank anew of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean, but depended on his strength and speed to keep the ship’s wheel steady as the vessel meandered along the stream so it didn’t crash into the shore. The stream had only a few branches, and he would be told which path to take whenever necessary. He brought farmers and soldiers, took them to where they planted seeds and asked no questions. He would then bring them back to the eastern port, where they would transfer barrels which he knew contained tree sap. The point of this was unknown to him, because he had never heard of tree sap being so valuable that it needed a troop of three hundred (300) armed guards. The only tree sap he knew of being useful was maple syrup. While it was definitely delicious, this very secretive operation seemed to be a bit excessive to protect something so ordinary.
Once the soldiers and farmers boarded the ship, Lanty raised the anchor by pulling a lever and then guided the ship by gently tilting its wheel. After two (2) hours, he received a tap on his shoulder and then pulled a lever to drop the anchor, bringing the vessel to a halt. He didn’t see who tapped him, and didn’t really want to.
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Counselor Coleman and Counselor Eustachio – both still under the cover of darkness – stepped off of the vessel and then walked down its boarding ramp onto the bank of the stream.
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The fifty (50) farmers and three hundred (300) soldiers knew to follow the sound of footsteps when the vessel stopped, so they didn’t need to see whom they were following. The farmers each took an empty barrel from the deck of the ship and rolled it along with them. The soldiers and farmers walked down the boarding ramp and onto the stream bank. From there, they resumed listening for the footsteps of their leaders cloaked in darkness. The soldiers held their weapons – some crossbows and many swords – at the ready while the farmers rolled the barrels.
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From under the cover of darkness provided by Counselor Coleman, Counselor Eustachio knew where the trees were to be planted and said: “This is the grove. I have eight hundred (800) seeds, and will give sixteen (16) to each of you, one (1) at a time.” Without seeing – because he was still under the cover of darkness – he felt for the hand of Counselor Coleman and led him as he walked among the farmers. Eustachio did this to continue cloaking his own identity, because secrecy was encouraged. It would be best, he had been told by Governor Winthrop, if no one knew the faces or the names of all the people involved. While still under the cover of darkness provided by Counselor Coleman, Eustachio placed seeds into the hands of each of the farmers.
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The fifty (50) farmers each moved efficiently, planting the seeds and then returning for more, until each had planted sixteen (16) seeds.
The three hundred (300) soldiers – fifty (50) of whom were armed with crossbows and two hundred fifty (250) of whom were armed with longs words and throwing knives – stood guard.
When the farmers were done planting, they drained the sap from one hundred sixty-seven (167) previously planted trees that were deemed mature. The barrels were each about five sixths (5/6) filled and became too heavy for the farmers to carry.
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From under the cover of darkness, Counselor Eustachio saw this and said: “The soldiers will carry the tree sap barrels back to the ship. Your farming work isn’t done, however. The soil will not sustain all the new trees we’ve planted here along with the timber that the local villagers keep planting. We need to destroy some of these oaks, spruces and maples. In addition, kill the flowering plants.”
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The farmers each drank anew of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean from their vials and were further energized with the power to control plants and animals. They then touched the roots of six hundred seventy-two (672) surrounding trees of various species and caused them to pull up. The trunks and branches of these oaks, spruces and maples began to darken, weaken and rot.
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br /> From under the cover of darkness, Counselor Eustachio saw this and said: “We must leave at once!”
Hearing this, Counselor Coleman took Eustachio by the hand and moved swiftly back toward the riverboat.
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The farmers ran back toward the riverboat and the soldiers easily carried the heavy barrels of tree sap over their shoulders as they ran back to the ship.
Behind them, the farmers and soldiers could hear the cracking and falling of the trees. There were hundreds upon hundreds of those sounds, and they didn’t wait to count them all.
Lanty watched as the farmers and soldiers hurried up the boarding ramp. He felt a tap on his shoulder and knew what it meant. He adjusted the sail riggings to reverse the fold of the sails, so that the ship would sail in the other direction. He moved a lever to raise the anchor and then the vessel sailed along the stream back toward the port. When the vessel arrived at the head of the stream, he halted the ship’s movement and dropped the anchor using the levers to control it.
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The fifty (50) farmers left the vessel and returned to their barracks, as they had no further work to do.
The fifty (50) soldiers carrying the fifty (50) barrels of tree sap stepped off the vessel while the other two hundred fifty (250) soldiers guarded them. They carried these barrels through the Port of Kanajomis and toward the enormous vessel known as the Calibrated Provisions. Without asking, they boarded the six hundred forty-two (642) foot long frigate which had eight (8) pairs of pivoting, double-masted sails.
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